Gon had been told not to leave the bar, and the only other places he'd been allowed to go to were the bathroom and the little balcony outside. It was cramped, but not the absolute worst place he'd been in. Thinking over the situation some more, he still had no idea how any of this happened. It seemed as if one second he was on Whale Island being homeschooled by Aunt Mito, then the next, he was waking up in a bar with two strange men immediately questioning his strength and abilities; not to mention the fact that it seemed there were obvious black holes in his memory...
He whipped his head around to the deep Shigaraki-shaped crater in the brick wall. Geez.
"Hey, Kurogiri," he called out.
The smoky man turned his attention to the boy swinging his legs back and forth on the couch. "Yes, Freecss?"
"Where's Shigaraki?"
"Ah..." he murmured as he wiped down a wine bottle. "Out on a walk, I presume."
"Aw man," he whined.
A quiet moment passed.
Gon's stare still lingered on Kurogiri.
"Uh... yes?"
"Are you a Chimera Ant?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, I guess not, then."
Kurogiri exhaled. Recalling the way All For One described the quirk, he definitely wasn't expecting an "immensely powerful" person to take the form of a kid about as young as the students they had just fought more than a week ago. Shigaraki hadn't even fully healed from all the bullet wounds yet, and now the head injury from Freecss's push was simply the cherry on top of a melted sundae.
"Kurogiri!" Gon called, standing up from the couch.
"Yes?"
He walked over to the bar, taking a seat and meeting eyes with him. "Can you tell me why I'm here?"
There was the million dollar question. He hadn't properly discussed with Shigaraki on what they'd tell him if he ever asked, so whatever he'd say now might be the one thing that'd either keep this kid here or have him walking out the door. Or, worst case scenario, he was going to beat him up for being a villain and then report their hideout to the police.
In times like these, Kurogiri wanted so badly to question All For One's judgement. After all, why bring in such an unknown, completely random variable? If he's as powerful as he said he was, that may mean he'd be completely uncontrollable. Besides, this kid reminded him a bit too much of another green-haired student with a strength quirk...
He sighed. "Yes, I can."
"Really?!" Gon beamed, jumping out his seat and gripping the table like he was an excited puppy.
"We brought you here. Our organization needs your strength, so I apologize for the rough introduction yesterday." It was the truth, but it was ambiguous enough to not set off any red flags.
"Oh, wow! Does this mean there's other strong people like me?"
"Definitely. But considering how things went with Shigaraki, they're no match for you."
"Hm..." he pouted, sitting back down. As he crossed his arms, he said, "So... what organization is this?"
There was only one way to answer that question. He just hoped that whatever universe he came from, that buzz word didn't have so much of a negative connotation as it did here.
"The League of Villains."
Kurogiri hesitantly glanced over at the boy's face to see if he made any adverse reaction, but... he didn't. At all. He still had the same curious look on his face. Ever since he got here—other than looking a bit bored at times—not once had he seen him grow suspicious of either him or Shigaraki or make any moves to escape. He had diligently followed their orders even while he seemed to be perfectly capable of defying them, then defeating both of them at the same time.
"League of Villains, huh..." he trailed, rubbing his chin. "I've never heard of it. Hey, what did you need my help for?"
This kid just kept asking questions with no ulterior motive. It was pure curiosity.
"We... haven't figured that out, yet."
"Oh, okay." Gon swiveled around in his bar stool. Then, he abruptly stopped and looked straight back at Kurogiri. "Are you sure I can't go out on my own?"
"Not until we trust you enough to stay with us."
"Eh? But I trust you."
He couldn't help but mentally stumble over that sentence. Already, he was willing to help out an obviously dangerous organization for no real reason? What kind of universe did this kid come from, exactly?
"I... guess you can ask Shigaraki about it when he comes back." He found it unlikely he'd agree to Freecss's request considering the reason he wasn't currently present in the first place.
His answer brought yet another bright grin upon Gon's face as he said a quick thanks.
As if on cue, the door to the outside opened to reveal a bandaged Shigaraki.
"Shigaraki!" Gon darted towards the man, bright green boots skidding to a halt as he stopped right in front of him. "Where'd you go?"
"I was getting you a... gift," he spat.
"Wow, really? Even after I cracked your skull?"
"That's exactly why I got you one, brat."
And there was the bitterness that came after a lost battle. He remembered, even as Shigaraki was laughing and bleeding on the floor of the bar, he could practically feel the sore attitude dripping from his words. It was even worse considering the fact he had just lost the battle at U.A. and was still recovering from it (both physically and mentally.) At least, maybe calling Freecss a "toy" meant he didn't necessarily see him as an opponent—he was just a tool to further his success.
He gestured for Gon to follow him outside, and he did, bouncing on the soles of his shoes as his wish to finally go outside by himself was partly granted.
Shigaraki, Kurogiri anxiously thought as he watched the door close, leaving him alone. What in the world are you up to?
A few minutes passed and the pair had walked into the warehouse filled with the destructive nomus. Shigaraki had just led Gon into a separate, enclosed room, with one waiting inside.
"This is Nomu," he said, referring to the giant monster mindlessly standing next to him.
It wasn't as strong as he liked it to be, but he couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to see Gon's true strength... and see him get hurt.
Sensei said that whoever was going to work with them, they were going to be strong. But this kid, this cheerful little brat, was way too strong for his liking. He hadn't even gotten the chance to lay a single finger on him when he challenged him to that death match, and the kid wasn't even using a quirk! Or... what did he call it?
Nen?
"Hello, Nomu! I'm Gon!"
The brat held his hand out for the nomu to shake.
"You idiot," he said, "it's mindless. It only follows my orders."
Of course he'd think it was a normal person. He'd been all smiles since he arrived, and it annoyed him to no end because, despite how much it got on his nerves, he had personally felt the power hiding behind that joyful disposition.
"Mindless..." he murmured. "Is he alive?"
"Yeah."
For the first time, he hadn't responded. Shigaraki glanced over at the boy, and noticed the kid was actually thinking about something rather than blabbing his mouth off.
"Oi," he said, causing Gon to snap back to reality. "I want you to fight the nomu."
"...Why?"
"Eh?" he exclaimed. "Why? Because if you don't, it's going to kill you."
Before he could move to make any response, Shigaraki immediately commanded the nomu to attack Gon.
The nomu wasn't as reliable as the one deployed at USJ, but it still packed quite a punch since it focused more on the offense side of things. It held two quirks: Shock Absorption and Five-Ton Punch. Shock Absorption was what the USJ nomu worked with, too, but the latter was one Sensei had been recently experimenting with. This nomu was able to hit someone with the weight of two elephants; clearly more than how much power behind Gon's push was.
A single hand reached to irritatingly scratch the side of his neck as he dreaded the bandages wrapped around his forehead.
It was just a push.
He watched as the nomu started approaching Gon, eyeballs focused on one thing—killing. But despite Shigaraki's actions, he preferred that the boy didn't die. If he couldn't get out of this fight with his life, it meant he'd wasted all this time on dealing with things weaker than the powerful nomus he already had complete control of. It was just another toy Sensei gifted him, and it never hurt to try and break them a little.
"It was just a chop," Killua muttered to the rat behind the desk.
"A paralyzing chop that you traveled ten miles per hour with absolutely zero air resistance for!" Nezu said, that permanent smile still plastered on his face.
"That's not that fast..."
"You know that's not how that works, Zoldyck," Aizawa grunted. "Do you know what people look like when they run that fast? They move their arms and legs. Whatever you did out there looked like teleportation, and somehow, it wasn't a quirk 'cause I couldn't erase it."
This is stupid, Killua thought. He was somehow on a new level of being a threat all because he was fast. What's next, he was going to be locked up for being able to twist open a stubborn bottle of water? It wasn't his fault that hothead wasn't quick enough to block or jump out of the way. Besides, he was the one who wanted the fight. He was the one who underestimated his abilities, and he rightfully got what he deserved.
Loudly groaning, Killua said, "Okay, I'm fast. So what?"
"It seems Aizawa here is troubled by the idea of his quirk being unable to stop someone with the raw strength and capabilities that normally dive into quirk-territory," he said. "But you have grabbed my attention as well. I cannot ask you questions about how you became this way because you simply have no memories to answer with. So then, I only have one question for you, Zoldyck."
"Shoot."
The small principal hopped down from his giant leather chair. Killua watched as he strolled up to him, paws clasped behind his back as his small smile most likely contradicted what he imagined went on in his mind.
"Will you become a student in class 1-A?"
...Did I hear him right?
A loud "WHAT?!" resonated throughout the office, comprised of both Killua's and Aizawa's synchronized voices.
"Nezu, I brought this kid back here because he's a danger to the students, and possibly even the staff. You—"
"I'm more of a danger than that angry asshole?!"
"—can't possibly consider keeping him here on equal footing as them while we still have no idea where he came from?"
Nezu turned his gaze to Aizawa. "Plus Ultra!" he cheered, raising a little furry fist in the air.
That left the teacher in an even more confused state.
"Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!" he continued, putting his paw back down. "Heroes must take risks to save people. Isn't that right, Eraserhead?"
"What kind of a stupid name is Eraserhead?"
Ignoring his insolence, Aizawa replied, "What does that have to do with any of this?"
"Zoldyck may be rightfully perceived as a threat," the principal grinned, "but, of all things, he is still a child. A lost child who has nothing to his name; not even his own memories. For now, he at least deserves a normal life experience."
Aizawa's lips pressed into a tight line.
Nezu was about to continue, but Killua once again interrupted, his own arms crossed, paired with a sour expression. He said, "I don't need your help."
And he really didn't. He may not remember his own life, but considering he had beat the "scariest" student in the whole school—concerning his safety, at least—there was nothing to worry about. Hell, he probably could even beat Aizawa; the person who was deemed to be the only one able to keep him "under control". His quirk was useless against him, meaning he'd either try to engage into close quarters combat (a bad move since Killua'd simply go for another quick chop to the neck) or keep him away with his scarf. However, he'd been caught in it once already. There wasn't enough time for him to discern what material it was, but it was definitely strong... but most likely not strong enough to keep Killua from easily tearing it apar—
"What exactly do you plan on accomplishing, then, Zoldyck?" Nezu said, interrupting his train of thought.
"I..." he trailed off, trying to piece the right words together. "I need to remember what I was doing before getting here."
"Of course," he said. "I hope you know that we are not trying to hold you back, though. After all, you remembered your own name after running into one of the students here! I believe the process to recovery would go by much smoother if you were put in a familiar environment."
Familiar environment...?
Then, he remembered.
Killua stared into the principal's beady eyes and said, "I never went to school."
Something shifted behind his eyes, but he quickly averted his attention on them by immediately speaking. "All the more reason to attend U.A.!"
He scratched his head. What exactly would he gain out of actually going to school here? Midoriya did help him regain one memory, but he doubted he'd help any more than that, considering he felt so much more alien once he finally turned around to face him. Plus, the rest of the students were much, much weaker than him, so he'd be bored out of his mind if he were asked to spar against them. School... just didn't feel like the right place for him.
Even then, what other options were there? He was sure he could outmatch Aizawa and run away, but since the whole school was even warier of him than before, he'd probably be considered on the same level as a villain, therefore making it hard for him to show his face anywhere. Another was for him to continue in his current situation, simply tagging along with Aizawa to his classes... but that was also boring. At least, if he were a student, having a varied schedule meant he didn't have to stay with him 24/7.
No matter how unsure he was of his final decision, the small white rat kept on staring at him with his soulless button eyes, telepathically prodding him to hurry up and answer.
"Okay, I'll enroll. Only 'cause it gives me more time away from Homeless-sensei," he said as he crossed his arms, a tiny smirk appearing soon after mentioning the rugged teacher. However, it quickly disappeared as continued his speech. "And... it's not like there's anything else I can do, anyway..."
"Finally, there's that intelligence I had sensed in you!" Nezu happily replied, albeit a little condescendingly.
The last person in the room let out a long sigh, further heating up the insides of his scarf. "You're still gonna have to stay with me, though."
"Well, Aizawa, he doesn't need to stay with you anymore," the principal said, earning two surprised reactions. "He only went with you under the impression that you could stop his quirk. Even if his quirk is stronger than his—presumably—raw strength, stopping it would prove useless."
"Useless?"
"Yes! If Zoldyck wanted to cause trouble, I'm confident that, even without a quirk, he would do perfectly fine. That is just an example, of course. I very much prefer that he does not misbehave!"
Aizawa clicked his tongue. "Okay. What about if it's strong, and he can't control it?"
"Hm, quirks are similar to muscles, aren't they? If his body remembers how to fight, I am positively sure he can remember how to use his quirk."
The teacher—no, his teacher, now—slowly nodded to that. Then he caught the rat staring at him again.
"But, of course, if you wish to know what I truly think about this whole forgotten quirk ordeal, I recommend taking an x-ray."
An x-ray?
"You think this kid's quirkless?"
"It is a hunch."
"You and your hunches..."
A small grunt from Aizawa sounded through the office as Killua pondered the information given to him. Quirkless? Maybe that was the reason nothing happened when he tried to force his quirk out yesterday.
"Anyway," Nezu continued, "If you wanted Zoldyck off your hands, I'd be glad to phone in some of class 1-A's families to see if any of them are able to care for him! I strongly believe this arrangement would work out for the both of you."
"Hold on," Killua said, "I'm gonna live with my own classmates?"
"If one is willing to take you in, yes! I understand that having only one caregiver can be stressful for both sides, so I am confident that both your needs will be satisfied. Aizawa can go back to his solitary way of living, and you get to live with the privileges only a family can provide!"
...So he didn't even have to stay with a Pro Hero anymore?
"If you need time to think about it, I can—"
"Nope, you can call 'em right now!" he grinned, planting his feet apart and his hands on his hips. "Hey, accept the first family that says they can take me in. I wanna get this over with quick."
"Feelings' mutual," his teacher mumbled.
And then, once everything was settled, Nezu began searching through class 1-A students' files for phone numbers as the pair exited the office.
So it really was a good move enrolling in U.A. High School, huh? As long as he didn't have a Pro Hero watching his every move, that meant he had a lot more freedom to do what he wanted.
Lunch came, and Killua once again ate in the teacher's lounge while Aizawa worked at his cubicle. He unfortunately didn't get the chance to meet up with any students he recognized, but he'd get the chance to every day once he'd formally enrolled. After a couple mind-numbing hours, the school day finally came to an end as the bell rang.
Right as he was getting up from the couch, he found himself looking at Aizawa as he was walking towards him.
"Hey, don't you wanna know if you're quirkless or not?" he said, tired voice as monotone as ever.
Killua looked him in the eye. "Don't I have to get x-rayed for that?"
"Yeah. As you already know, we have a nurse."
A scowl formed on his face. "That old hag?"
Even with the distaste he held for Recovery Girl, he ended up on his way to the infirmary as he was led by his teacher. And, surprisingly, that hag wasn't even the worst thing he had to deal with upon opening the door.
"FUCKING CAT FACE?!"
Yep. He was here, too.
"Huh?" he laughed, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not here for you, stupid."
The explosive teen leapt from his spot on the bed and clenched his fists tight, yelling, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even need to be here!"
"And if you weren't so weak, you—"
"Shut up, both of you," Aizawa hissed. "Bakugou, if you're strong enough to jump up and scream like that, you can go home. And Zoldyck, don't give me a reason to expel you when you haven't even started your first day yet."
"Expel...?" Bakugou mumbled. It only took him a second to realize what his teacher exactly meant by that. Their teacher. "This... you're letting this fucking bastard kid be a student?!"
"We'll all talk about this tomorrow, Bakugou," Aizawa grumbled.
"Yeah," Killua smiled, placing his hands on his hips, "I can't wait to see you tomorrow, classmate!"
"No," he seethed, sturdily planting himself right in front of Killua as he glared him in the eye (he had to look a way down, though. Their height difference was a little much.) "We're talking about this now."
Killua let his arms fall from his hips, instead choosing to cross them at his chest. "Didn't you hear Homeless-sensei? Come on, don't make me repeat him, or else I'd really be acting like a teacher!"
"Shut up! Whose idea was it for you to be a student, anyway? You don't belong here, no matter what anyone tries to tell you!"
"Everyone, STOP!"
All three of them turned to the source of the voice, realizing they had all forgotten the reason they visited the infirmary in the first place.
Recovery Girl pointed a finger at Aizawa. "They've been screaming at each other for the past five minutes. It's your job to control your own students!" she chided.
"That's what I've been doing," he said, hands roughly massaging his face. "Bakugou, Zoldyck's only here for Recovery Girl. Just go home already."
Bakugou clicked his tongue. Miraculously, he stormed towards the exit, but opened his mouth to make sure he got in the last word. "I'm not done with you, cat face," he snarled, slamming the door shut.
"Thought he'd never leave," Killua lazily said, bringing his arms up and relaxing his head in his hands.
What is that kid's problem? he thought. Was he really that bitter over a lost fight he instigated? Sure, people get mad when they lose... but he brings it to a whole new level.
"Come here," Aizawa said, motioning for Killua to the x-ray machine. "Take off your shoe."
"What?"
After a quick explanation from Recovery Girl, they began x-raying his foot. He truly didn't know what to expect out of it, and, even more, he didn't know what he wanted. Having a quirk meant he could somehow do more than just paralyze someone with a single chop while going at law-breaking speeds. But, Nezu said quirks were just like muscle memory. If so, then why couldn't he just make it... happen? Was it because he really was quirkless? Well, that wouldn't be so bad, either. After all, the rat did also say he was capable of doing essentially whatever he wanted because of his raw strength.
"Okay," Recovery Girl said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "let's see the results."
She gestured towards a TV on the wall that was currently loading up a picture of the x-ray. Three pairs of eyes watched as the defining moment began pixelating on the screen... and...
There was a toe joint.
"So I really am quirkless, huh?" he said. "Looks like the rat's High Specs quirk checks out, then."
"You were doubting it?" Aizawa questioned.
"Oh, definitely. I mean, he did enroll me as a student here."
"You're the one who accepted..."
"It was the least boring option."
Suddenly, Aizawa's phone rang. He took to answering it privately outside the infirmary, leaving Killua alone with the nurse. None of them made any moves for conversation, and while they were fine with not speaking with each other, the silence in the room felt way too heavy. So, he remembered his first visit here. It was just yesterday, but it genuinely felt like it had been months since he'd stayed here. Most likely because he had no other memories to think about.
He put his shoe back on and walked towards the window; the one Aizawa first assumed he was going to escape out of. It had been a while since school ended, but he noticed a few students he didn't recognize were still hanging around the front. Some alone, some standing around and laughing in groups, and others heading outside the gates. So this was what a school was like, huh? Maybe Nezu did have a point when he said he deserved a normal life experience...
Because he never actually got one, didn't he?
He never went to school. He could defeat an opponent in just a second. Even his own last name gave him a bad taste in his mouth. But, the worst part about all that was that he didn't know why or how any of this was possible. He was just a 15 year old boy who suddenly got dropped into the classroom of a superhero high school, and while he understands the way society works, there were too many inconsistencies with the mindset he held and everyone else around him. And he still had no idea what the hell Iida meant by saying they were speaking Japanese!
His teacher entered the room. The look on his face almost looked surprised, but it quickly sank back into his deadpan expression when he laid eyes on Killua. "Nezu found a family who's willing to take you in."
"Already?" he said, turning his body away from the window.
That was quick. Not even a whole day had passed and a family was willing to watch over him without even meeting him yet.
"Yes. They're on their way here to pick you up..."
Wow, and they were determined, too?
"Who is it?"
Aizawa held a blank stare.
"The Mineta household."
Gon pushed off the ground to avoid Nomu's attack, diving to the left to keep his distance. Nomu simply skidded across the concrete, already readying himself for his next attack as he raised his gigantic grey arms to throw another punch at his opponent. Already, Gon could tell how heavy his punches were, as the first one caused a dust cloud within the whole room without actually hitting anything.
He knew enough that Shigaraki wouldn't stop Nomu from majorly injuring him (maybe even killing him.) His only option was to defeat him... but what Shigaraki said about him being mindless really didn't sit right with him.
Before Gon could continue his train of thought, Nomu again pounced after him, fist reeled back as he aimed for his face. This time, he jumped right above him and landed behind his opponent. Soon before he could turn around to try and punch him again, Gon noticed a little ledge at one of the windows near the top of the room. The metal rattled as he leapt on it, but he was far enough from Nomu to make sense of what he was exactly seeing.
"What are you doing?" Shigaraki jeered. "Stop running away. Make this at least a little fun."
"What did you do to him?" he yelled out.
Shigaraki laughed out in disbelief. "What are you talking about, you little brat? Stop treating it like a person, it's getting on my nerves."
"Why does he only follow your orders?"
He noticed he was getting visibly frustrated. His hands were furiously scratching at his neck as he said, "If you kill it, I'll tell you. Why do you even care?"
The entire room shook. Gon looked down and found that Nomu had punched the wall where the ledge he stood on was attached to. He's gonna take down the whole building if he keeps punching, he thought. Returning to the ground with a loud thump, Gon turned to face Nomu.
Why did he care so much? He didn't know who he was. It was just the fact he reminded him of...
His moves were predictable. All he was trying to do was get one good punch at Gon, and all Gon had to do was dodge them and get in close to land one of his own hits. Once Nomu ran towards him, he took off at the same time. Closing in on each other, Gon watched as he reeled his left fist back for yet another blow. Swerving left, he narrowly avoided the attack. But, it gave him enough time to make a move and slam his fist directly in the middle of Nomu's chest, sending him flying across to the opposite side of the room.
Pitou. He reminded him of what Pitou did to Kite. But... Pitou is dead, and Kite is still alive (even if it's in the form of a little girl.) Well, Nomu isn't Kite, so there's no reason he should compare them.
Nomu easily got up right after he had slid down the wall, as if he had taken no damage at all. Perhaps he had a weak spot...? If he did, it might be his exposed brain, no matter how painfully obvious it seemed. Gon ran after Nomu, aiming for his head, rather than his chest this time. Nomu raised his left fist again; it seemed he liked using that to attack. Gon easily avoided it as he approached, focusing all his strength into his own hand, clenching it tight.
He... it was just another nomu, like a bunch of other ones just outside this room. An obstacle he had to overcome if he wanted real answers to what he was doing here.
Gon jumped far above the nomu, instantly diving down to land a finishing blow to its weak spot. It barely had time to react before his fist made contact with its brain, finally crashing down on the ground as it was swiftly defeated.
"There, I did it," Gon said, turning around to face Shigaraki.
"Took you long enough," he groaned. "You still wanna know about the nomus?"
He shook his head. "I wanna know why you wanted it to fight me."
"You wouldn't be any use to us if you couldn't defeat a nomu."
"Okay... So why do you wanna 'use' me? And do I get anything from it? Also, do you know why I can't remember—"
"I'll tell you at the bar," he interrupted. He began walking out of the room while Gon followed from behind. "Just stop asking so many questions, you damn brat. It's annoying."
Gon pouted as he walked behind him. Though, he still somehow managed to find some fun out of the odd situation. Exiting the building, he looked up at the night sky. The stars weren't very bright from all the light pollution, but it was nice to catch a breath of fresh air, no matter how short the trip from building to building was. He almost missed being back on Whale Island with how open and scenic it was, but after years of living like a normal kid, it was about time he once again dipped his toes into a brand new adventure.
Grinning as he watched Shigaraki open the door to the bar, he thought to himself.
I can't wait to write to Aunt Mito about all this!
A/N: ...wow. i seriously did not expect so many people to read this story, much less review it so much. i crossposted this story on and ao3, so, as of now, combining everything, thats 29 reviews, 13 comments, 73 kudos, 85 follows, 64 favorites, and 18 bookmarks?! for only TWO CHAPTERS?! sorry if i seem overly excited, but WHAT? thank all of you so much! i wish i could personally type down and thank every person who read this story instead of just showing off numbers, but, considering how long it took me to upload this chapter, i'm a little strapped for time... sorry for that, by the way. i'm still in school so its hard balancing my hobbies and work, but i try to do what i can (plus, quarantine sucks.) still, i hope i haven't lost anyone's interest in the span of a month. again, thank you so so so much for reading and reviewing/commenting on this story! i'll see you in the next chapter!
